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Measles continues to be a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in India. Recent studies estimate that 80,000 Indian children die each year due to measles and its complications, amounting to 4% of under-5 deaths. Immunization against measles directly contributes to the reduction of under-five child mortality and hence to the achievement of Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG 4). The live attenuated measles vaccines are safe, effective and provide long-lasting protection. The key strategies being followed globally for measles mortality reduction are high coverage of measles first dose, sensitive laboratory supported surveillance, appropriate case management, and providing second dose of measles vaccine. Prior to 2010, India was the only country in the world that had not introduced a second dose of measles vaccine in its National immunization program. We herein discuss the current status of measles vaccination along with the rationale and challenges of providing a second opportunity for measles vaccination, and the principles of measles catch-up campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunization is one of the most cost effective public health interventions and largely responsible for reduction of under-5 mortality rate. However, vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) are still responsible for over 5 lakh deaths annually in India. This underlines the need of further improvement. Today, India is a leading producer and exporter of vaccines, still the country is home to one-third of the world's unimmunized children. There are a number of reasons why India lags behind its many less developed neighbors in vaccination rates. They include huge population with relatively high growth rate, geographical diversity and some hard to reach populations, lack of awareness regarding vaccination, inadequate delivery of health services, inadequate supervision and monitoring, lack of micro-planning and general lack of inter-sectoral coordination, and weak VPD surveillance system. In this article, we discuss some of the remedial measures to remove obstacles and improve immunization status of the country. Heightened political and bureaucratic will, increasing demand for vaccination by using effective Information, education and communication (IEC), creating more 'delivery points' for routine immunization, proper monitoring of the program, and changing overall objective of the program from merely targeting coverage to more meaningful monitoring of the 'VPD reduction' and 'demand creation' referred as the 'output' of entire vaccination program. Successful AFP surveillance network should serve as platform for an efficient integrated disease surveillance system. AEFI and postmarketing surveillance systems should be urgently upgraded, and there is need of strengthening the regulatory capacity of the country. Restructuring of EPI with induction of some new vaccines, clear-cut guidelines on the policy of introduction of newer vaccines, and establishing a separate, independent department of public health are few other areas that need urgent attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India established the National Tuberculosis Control Project (NTCP) 50 years ago and re-designed it as Revised NTCP (RNTCP) 19 years ago. Tuberculosis (TB) control was beset with obstacles -- BCG vaccination was found ineffective in TB control in 1979; human immunodeficiency virus began spreading in India since 1984 with TB as the commonest opportunistic disease; multi-drug resistance was found to be prevalent since 1992. The World Health Organization declared TB as global emergency in 1993. Yet, RNTCP was extended to the whole nation very slowly, taking 13 years from inception. The first objective of RNTCP, namely 85% treatment success has been achieved and case-fatality had dropped by 90%. Still, TB burden continues to remain huge; about half the cases are not getting registered under RNTCP; pediatric TB is neglected; TB drains national economy of US$ 23 billion annually. Therefore, TB control is in urgent need of re-design and re-invigoration, with additional inputs and system re-organization to cover all such gaps. We highlight the need for Public Health infrastructure under which all vertical disease control projects such as RNTCP should be synergized for better efficiency and for establishing Public Health Surveillance for collecting denominator-based data on incidence and prevalence to guide course corrections. India ought to spend 3 to 5 times more on TB control than at present. Control needs clear epidemiologic definition and measurable parameters for monitoring the level of control over time. TB control is both a measure of, and a means to, socioeconomic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cassia occidentalis is an annual shrub found in many countries including India. Although bovines and ovines do not eat it, parts of the plant are used in some traditional herbal medicines. Several animal studies have documented that fresh or dried beans are toxic. Ingestion of large amounts by grazing animals has caused serious illness and death. The toxic effects in large animals, rodents and chicken are on skeletal muscles, liver, kidney and heart. The predominant systems involved depend upon the animal species and the dose of the beans consumed. Brain functions are often affected. Gross lesions at necropsy consist of necrosis of skeletal muscle fibres and hepatic centrilobular necrosis; renal tubular necrosis is less frequent. Muscle and liver cell necrosis is reflected in biochemical abnormalities. The median lethal dose (LD50) is 1 g/kg for mice and rats. Toxicity is attributed to various anthraquinones and their derivatives and alkaloids, but the specific toxins have not been identified. Data on human toxicity are extremely scarce. This review summarizes information available on Cassia toxicity in animals and compares it with toxic features reported in children. The clinical spectrum and histopathology of C. occidentalis poisoning in children resemble those of animal toxicity, affecting mainly hepatic, skeletal muscle and brain tissues. The case-fatality rate in acute severe poisoning is 75-80 per cent in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Vitamin B7(biotin) is not synthesized in our body and is retrieved from some food products like eggs, liver, pork and leafy vegetables and as well as microbes of gut. Deficiency of biotin majorly leads to loss of hair, rashes over skin, lethargy and seizures. It is noted that biotin is an anti-oxidant and negates free radical effects. Biotin is also involved in carbon dioxide metabolism and it might alter seizure threshold. Studies also suggest its effect on lipid metabolism as well. So, the primary objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of biotin in maximal electric shock (MES) induced generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) induced absence seizures. The secondary objective is to study the effect of combined treatment of biotin and sodium valproate on seizures as well as plasma lipid profile in rats., Methods: In our study 30 albino Wistar rats each were used in MES and PTZ model respectively. 30 rats were divided equally into following groups: I - distilled water (negative control) II - distilled water (positive control) III - sodium valproate (300 mg/kg) IV - biotin (10 mg/kg/day) V - biotin (10 mg/kg) + sodium valproate (150 mg/kg)., Results: We observed that the tonic hind limb extension was significantly reduced in the treatment group in MES model. Nitric oxide levels were also seen raised in combination group in MES model and all the treated groups in PTZ model. Biotin treated group showed increased high-density lipoproteins and reduced low density lipoproteins and triglycerides., Conclusions: Biotin had an additive effect to sodium valproate in both the models of epilepsy in rats. Further, it was also able to counteract hyperlipidemia cause by sodium valproate., (© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)

Background: Precise prognostication is the key to optimum and effective treatment planning for early-stage hormone receptor (HR) positive, HER2/neu negative breast cancer patients. Differences in the breast cancer incidence and tumor anatomical features at diagnosis, pharmacogenomics data between Western and Indian women along with the vast diversity in the economic status and differences in insurance policies of these regions; suggest recommendations put forward for Western women might not be applicable to Indian/Asian women. Opinions from oncologists through a voting survey on various prognostic factors/tools to be considered for planning adjuvant therapy are consolidated in this report for the benefit of oncologists of the sub-continent, SAARC and Asia's LMIC (low and middle-income countries)., Methods: A three-phase DELPHI survey was conducted to collect opinions on prognostic factors considered for planning adjuvant therapy in early-stage HR+/HER2/neu negative breast cancer patients. A panel of 25 oncologists with expertise in breast cancer participated in the survey conducted in 2021. The experts provided opinions as 'agree' or disagree' or 'not sure' in phases-1 and 2 which were conducted virtually; in the final phase-3, all the panel experts met in person and concluded the survey., Results: Opinions on 41 statements related to prognostic factors/tools and their implications in planning adjuvant endocrine/chemotherapy were collected. All the statements were supported by the latest data from the clinical trials (prospective/retrospective). The statements with opinions of consensus less than 66% were disseminated in phase-2, and later in phase-3 with supporting literature. In phase-3, all the opinions from panelists were consolidated and guidelines were framed., Conclusions: This consensus guideline will assist oncologists of India, SAARC and LMIC countries in informed clinical decision-making on adjuvant treatment in early HR+/HER2/neu negative breast cancer patients., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: High consumption of smokeless tobacco in adult Indian population increases the risk of developing oral cancers leading to high morbidity and mortality. Though the influence of abstinence from smoking on cognitive performance has been widely studied, the effect of smokeless tobacco on cognitive performance and its association with withdrawal symptoms is less understood. This study comparatively investigates the effect of short-term conscious abstinence and distraction during abstinence from smokeless tobacco consumption on the craving, withdrawal symptoms, sympathetic response, and cognitive performance in tobacco addicts., Methods: Age, sex, education and socioeconomic status matched control ( N = 15) and smokeless tobacco addicts ( N = 60) were recruited from residential areas in Bhubaneswar for the study. Following randomization of the addicts, conscious abstinence ( N = 30) was induced by informed abstinence from tobacco consumption for 8 hours, while distracted cessation ( N = 30) was induced by involving the participants in a cognitively engaging task for 8 hours during uninformed tobacco abstinence., Results: The results of the study show higher withdrawal symptoms and reduced cognitive performance in volunteers with conscious abstinence which was positively correlated. The decreased cognitive performance in conscious cessation was independent of tobacco-induced increase in the LF:HF ratio and cotinine concentration in saliva., Conclusion: While conscious abstinence results in higher withdrawal symptoms, distraction during abstinence lowers these symptoms. Inclusion of distraction sessions during cessation can, therefore, be a new element in tobacco control strategies., (© 2020 Indian Academy of Neurosciences (IAN).)

Hypoxic exposure at high-altitude (HA) modulates blood pressure (BP). High prevalence of hypertension among native highlanders (NH) has been reported. However, information on prevalence and determinants of hypertension in acclimatized young lowlanders (ALL) staying at HA for different durations is sparse. We aimed to determine the prevalence of hypertension in ALL staying at HA for different durations and its association with cardiovascular risk factors. Male volunteers were categorized on the basis of their duration of stay at HA; Lowlanders (LL) (0 months; n = 151), ALL (1-24 months; n = 519) and NH (n = 103). ALL were sub grouped into ALL 1 (1-6 months; n = 165), ALL 2 (6-12 months; n = 181), and ALL 3 (12-24 months; n = 173). BP, sympathetic activity, arterial stiffness, lipid profile, and homocysteine were estimated. Regression analysis was performed to determine association of risk factors with hypertension. Prevalence of hypertension among ALL was highest with 17.53% followed by NH (11.6%) and LL (9.27%). Prevalence of hypertension in ALL sub group was in order ALL 1 < ALL 2 < ALL 3. Hypertension was significantly associated with sympathetic dominance (p < 0.001) in ALL 1. Hypertension in ALL 2 was associated with dyslipidemia (p < 0.01) while in ALL 3 hypertension was associated with hyperhomocysteinemia (hHCY, p < 0.001), arterial stiffness and dyslipidemia (p < 0.01). In conclusion, our report suggests higher prevalence of hypertension in ALL. The association of studied risk factors and hypertension in different ALL sub groups varied significantly. Our findings suggest the need for a differential clinical approach to control hypertension in ALL considering their duration of stay at HA.

GSK3 (Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3) function in brain is contributed by two distinct gene GSK3 alpha and GSK3 beta. Present findings indicate that imbalance in between GSK3 alpha and beta isoform contributes oncogenesis. In gliomas, GSK3 isoform specific functions are different then as reported for melanoma, prostate cancer, lung cancer etc. Both the isoforms of GSK3 are inversely regulating hnRNPA1 (RNA binding protein) expression, subsequently affecting RNA alternative splicing (BIN1, RON, Mcl1, PKM) in gliomas. Elevated expression of c-Myc, hnRNPA1, Phospo-ERK1/2 and Cyclin D1 in GSK3 alpha knock down cells, resembles GSK3 beta isoform overexpressing glioma cells, promotes cell survival. HnRNPA1 dependent survival signaling pathway were elaborated using si RNA approach or by over expressing cloned hnRNPA1 gene in U87 glioma cells. Therefore, performed study empirically support GSK3β inhibition along with restoration of GSK3α would be a good strategy to target gliomas., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists.

Background & Aims: The present study aimed at investigating whether dietary supplementation of seabuckthorn seed oil which is rich in omega fatty acids at an oral dose of 0.75 ml could affect cardiovascular risk factors and reduce hypertension and systolic blood pressure., Methods: Toxicological evaluation and efficacy of seabuckthorn seed oil in reducing high fat diet induced dyslipidemia was initially conducted on adult male Sprague Dawley rats. 32 normal and 74 hypertensive and hypercholestrolemic human subjects participated in the randomized, controlled, double blind longitudinal study. Seabuckthorn seed oil or sunflower oil placebo was orally supplemented at a daily dose of 0.75 ml for 30 days., Results: Supplementation of seabuckthorn seed oil at a daily dose of 0.75 ml for 30 days resulted in normalization of blood pressure in hypertensive subjects. Dietary supplementation of seabuckthorn seed oil markedly reduces cholesterol, oxy-LDL and triglycerides in hypercholesterolemic subjects though it's effect on subjects with normal blood pressure and cholesterol is less pronounced. Seabuckthorn seed oil supplementation also improves circulatory antioxidant status in both normal and hypertensive subjects., Conclusion: The present study demonstrates the efficacy of seabuckthorn seed oil in reducing dyslipidemia, cardiovascular risk factors and hypertension in human population which may be due to presence of omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids in the oil. The improvement in antioxidant status can be attributed to presence of beta carotene and vitamin E in seabuckthorn seed oil. The trial was registered with Clinical Trial Registry of India (Clinical trial registration number - CTRI/2015/11/006368)., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: There has been a profound leap in developing countries in sectors of human development but it falls short of millennium development goals. Diarrhoea, respiratory infections are primary cause of child deaths around the world due to improper hygiene practice. There is lack of systematic objective analysis, follow-up and quantification of hand hygiene guidelines. So, there is an urgent requisite of a tool to assess the same., Aim: To conduct a pilot test for assessing the efficacy of Graphical Assessment Technique (GAT) in objectively evaluating and comparing intervention based hand hygiene among students of National Association of Blind School (NABS) and a government school., Materials and Methods: GAT was used to assess the baseline and post-intervention improvement of 80 students considered for the study. Data was analyzed using SPSS software version 20.0 and was subjected to quantitative analysis and parametric tests., Results: Non-significant difference (p≥0.05) was found at baseline and immediate post-intervention on percentage mean scores of blind school students and government school student, while government school children also showed non-significant difference at one week. Significant difference (p≤0.05) was found at baseline, post-intervention one week and post-intervention one month for blind school children along with baseline and post-intervention mean percentage scores for government school children., Conclusion: The primary agenda behind the study was to test a tool which can objectively evaluate, quantify and compare the follow-up of hand hygiene guidelines and aid in better hand hygiene promotion.

Need and Purpose: Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhea in infants and young children worldwide. The burden of rotavirus diarrhea in Indian children is not well established. The present study reviewed the epidemiology of rotavirus diarrhea in hospitalized children and in the community, molecular serotyping and under-five mortality caused by rotavirus diarrhea., Methods: Publications, reporting rotavirus diarrhea in Indian children, were retrieved through a systematic search of databases including Medline, PubMed, IndMed, websites of WHO, UNICEF, National Family Health Survey, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and Government of India. Human studies in English language were included. Age group selected was 0 month to 5 years. No restrictions were applied in terms of study design and time frame., Conclusions: Stool sample positivity varied from 4.6% in Kolkata to 89.8% in Manipur, among hospitalized children, and from 4% in Delhi to 33.7% in Manipur in community. Most cases of rotavirus diarrhea in India are caused by G1, G2, and G untypeable strains with distinct regional variations. Rotavirus was identified as an etiological agent in 5.2 to 80.5% cases of nosocomial diarrhea. Data are lacking for rotavirus mortality.

Introduction: The safety of diagnostic imaging during pregnancy is an important aspect for all clinicians. Pregnant women often do not receive proper dental care as the dentists are not aware of low diagnostic radiation doses involved in dental radiation., Aim: To assess awareness of radiation risks on pregnant women among dentists of Ghaziabad city., Materials and Methods: A total of 268 practicing dentists in Ghaziabad were selected for a questionnaire based cross-sectional study. Data consisted of 18 questions which assessed the knowledge, attitude and practice of dental professionals regarding radiation risks on pregnant women. The questionnaire was distributed and collected personally by the principal investigator. Data was analyzed by Mann Whitney U test and chi-square test. The level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05., Results: The results showed that the dentists who had attended continuing dental education program had increased level of knowledge regarding radiation effects among pregnant women as compared to the dentists who had not attended continuing dental education programs (p<0.05). Among them who had attended continuing dental education programs 93.3% were aware of the safe dose of radiation and 62% were aware of threshold radiation doses of pregnancy termination. On the contrary there was no significant difference in the knowledge, attitude and practice scores regarding radiation risks on pregnant women based on their academic qualification (p≥0.05)., Conclusion: The level of knowledge among dentists was found to be satisfactory, this outcome shows that continuing dental education regarding radiation protection principles and its risks on pregnant women is required to ensure maximum safety both for clinician as well as pregnant women.

Introduction: Over the past decades India, though being a developing country has progressed in multiple sectors but has not shown a substantial qualitative progress in healthcare. To be able to evaluate learning organization in a healthcare setup would thrust millennium development goals and infuse continuous learning model into health sector., Aim: To assess health care context using the Dimensions of the Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ) in a health care setting in National Capital Region of India., Materials and Methods: DLOQ proforma were distributed among 315 employees at all levels of the hospital. Data was analysed using SPSS software version 19.0 and was subjected to quantitative analysis and non-parametric tests., Results: The Kruskal-Wallis test indicated a significant difference between the means of the different professions where as Mann-Whitney tests compared the relation between each of the profession and a significant difference (p < 0.05) was noted, except dimension "systems connection"., Conclusion: The results provided sufficient inputs about the multidimensional learning organization capacity of a health care setting in a rapidly developing country.

Introduction: Dental plaque is the major etiological factor associated with the development of gingivitis. Hence, maintenance of oral hygiene is very essential., Aim: To systematically review the literature on the effects of a post toothbrushing rinsing on plaque and parameters of gingival inflammation., Materials and Methods: A literature review was performed in PubMed Central and Cochrane library, embase, google scholar were searched up to February 2015 to identify appropriate studies. The primary outcome measure was plaque and gingival inflammation reduction., Results: Out of the total 56 titles appeared, 08articles fulfilled the criteria and were selected for the review. One article which was hand searched and one article which was through e-mail was included. A statistically significant reduction in overall plaque and gingivitis was noted when different mouth rinses were compared to the control (p<0.05). It was seen that chlorhexidine is the best antiplaque and antigingivitis agent but due to its side effects after continuous use, was not indicated for long term use. Probiotic was superior to chlorhexidine in terms of reduction of gingival inflammation., Conclusion: There are relatively few studies evaluating the association between post toothbrushing rinsing and gingivitis. A clear effect was observed, indicating that different mouthrinses (chlorhexidine, probiotic, herbal, essential oil mouthrinse) when used as an adjunct to mechanical means of oral hygiene, provides an additional benefit with regard to plaque and gingivitis reduction as compared to a placebo or control.

Introduction: The number of reported natural and human-made disasters continues to rise worldwide. Disasters occur every day somewhere in the world with dramatic impact on individuals, families and communities., Aim: This study was designed to measure the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding disaster management among academicians and practitioners in Ghaziabad city., Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 487 dentists. A questionnaire (15 items) measuring knowledge, attitude and practice was distributed manually to the participating dentists and data was analysed using SPSS software, version 19.0 and student t-test was performed to assess the differences., Results: There was statistically significant relation between knowledge and attitude in relation to qualification degree, career prospective and years of experience (p <0.05)., Conclusion: Dentists form an important part of the health care community and thus there is a need to harvest the services of wide distribution of dentists practicing in our country.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Terminalia arjuna (Roxb. ex DC.) Wight & Arn. (T. arjuna) has been widely used in the traditional ayurvedic system of medicine as a cardioprotectant and for acute and chronic renal diseases supporting its ethnopharmacological use., Aim of the Study: The present study aimed at evaluating the diuretic action of an alcoholic extract of T. arjuna and its possible use as a prophylactic to prevent vascular leakage during acute mountain sickness at high altitude., Materials and Methods: Rats were exposed to hypobaric hypoxia simulated to an altitude of 27,000 ft. in a decompression chamber for 12h. T. arjuna bark extract was administered at a single dose of 150 mg/kg (p.o.) to male Sprague Dawley rats (200 ± 20 g) 30 min prior to exposure. Total urine volume was measured during exposure to hypobaric hypoxia. The animals were then investigated for cerebral vascular leakage and serum concentration of sodium, potassium, renin, angiotensin-II, aldosterone and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP)., Results: T. arjuna ameliorated acute hypobaric hypoxia induced decrease in glomerular filtration rate (p<0.5), increased total urine output (p<0.5) and prevented cerebral vascular leakage in hypoxic rats. T. arjuna treated animals also showed decrease in serum levels of renin (p<0.001) and angiotensin-II (p<0.5) as compared to placebo treated animals. Administration of T. arjuna attenuated acute hypobaric hypoxia induced oxidative stress, improved aldosterone levels and altered electrolyte balance in animals through ANP dependent mechanism., Conclusion: Results of the present study indicate towards diuretic potential of hydro-alcoholic extract of T. arjuna bark and provide evidence for its novel application as a prophylactic to attenuate acute hypobaric hypoxia induced cerebral vascular leakage through ANP mediated modulation of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Tobacco use is a major public health challenge in India and government of India has taken various initiatives for tobacco control in the country. India was among the first few countries to ratify WHO the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in 2004 and to make it easy, WHO introduced the MPOWER measures., Objective: This study aimed to quantify the implementation of MPOWER tobacco control policies in India., Materials and Methods: In this retrospective analysis information was collected from the WHO report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic Program, India for the year 2009, 2011 and 2013 using MPOWER and this analysis was based on the checklist which was designed previously by Iranian and international tobacco control specialists in their study on tobacco control and its cut-offs were set according to the scoring of key sections of the MPOWER 2011 report., Results: In this study India was ranked by scores and these scores were obtained from each indicator for each activity. The highest scores were achieved in 2013 and there are marked increase in scores in health warning on cigarette packages but as far as the cessation programmes and taxation is concerned, there is decline in the progress., Conclusion: MPOWER programmes are accepted in the India but there is considerable room for improvement as we are still far from the ideal situation.

Introduction: Occupational environment has an immense influence on the general as well as oral health. The specific exposure to sugar and its byproducts might influence the dental health of sugar mill workers., Aim and Objectives: The present study was conducted to assess and compare the oral health status of production line workers and administration staff working in the sugar mills of Western Uttar Pradesh., Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in four Government aided and four Private sugar mills of West Uttar Pradesh, India among the production line workers and administration staff. Multistage random sampling methodology was employed to select total of 600 sugar mill factory workers (449 production line workers and 151 administration staff). The oral health status of the study subjects was assessed using the modified WHO Oral health survey Performa 1997., Statistical Analysis: SPSS 19 Version was used for statistical analysis. Mean, Standard Deviation and proportions were calculated for each clinical parameter. Student t-test and Chi-square analysis was done to analyse inter group comparison., Results: Mean DMFT for production and non production line workers was 7.67± 2.99 and 0.15 ± 1.34 (p= 0.001) respectively. 80.17% of production line workers had maximum CPI score 2 in contrast to 63.57% of administration staff (p=0.324)., Conclusion: The dental health was found to be debilitated among the production line workers of Sugar mill as compared to the Administrative staff. It is therefore recommended to raise the awareness among the sugar mill workers regarding the same.

Background: The role of scientific journals in diffusion of data concerning researches in the field of Public Health Dentistry is of premier importance. Bibliometric analysis involves analysis of publications reflecting the type of research work., Aim: The present study was conducted with an aim to determine the number and trends of published articles in Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (JCDR) from Feb. 2007 to Oct.2014., Settings and Design: A retrospective observational study was conducted for JCDR., Materials and Methods: All issues of JCDR were electronically searched for the parameters : study design, area of interest of research, state /college where research was conducted, authorship pattern, source of articles published each year, changing study trends, disease under study and publication bias., Statistical Analysis Used: The data was organized and analyzed using software SPSS - version 21.0; descriptive statistics was used., Results: Bibliometric analysis was done for 601 articles of JCDR published from Feb. 2007 to Oct. 2014. The total number of articles published under Dentistry section have tremendously increased from mere 2 articles in 2007 to 328 articles in 2014.Majority of the study designs published in both the journal were case reports (42.6%) followed by cross sectional studies (24.8%). 96.3% of the articles were from India. Majority of the articles published were of multi authors (65.2%) and from Educational institutes (98.4%). The trends of the articles published indicated that the case reports/series formed the major bulk (others=59.1%) followed by research studies (21.3%)., Conclusion: It was concluded that most articles published were case reports followed by researches indicating an inclination towards better quality methodology. The SJR and the citation count of the articles published also indicated the quality of the scientific articles published.

Introduction: Violence against women is one of the major public health and human rights problem in the world today. Hence, the present study was conducted with the aim to assess the effect of domestic violence on oral health behavior and oral health status of females attending community outreach programmes in and around Modinagar., Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted through the community outreach programmes organized in Modinagar. A structured questionnaire was used to illicit information regarding socio demographic characteristics, oral health behavior and domestic violence. The dental health examination was done to record dental health status, intraoral and extraoral soft tissue injury, tooth fracture and tooth avulsion due to the injury., Results: Out of the total 304 women, 204(67.1%) reported positive domestic violence. Psychological violence was found to be severe whereas sexual violence was found to be mild in most of the cases. Significant difference was found between oral hygiene aids used , frequency of tooth brushing, periodontal status, missing teeth, intraoral soft tissue injuries and fractures between both the groups (p<0.05)., Conclusion: The present study confirmed that domestic violence had significant influence on oral health behavior and oral health status of women. Thus, the dental professionals also should make an attempt to help victims gain access to support and referral services and to provide adequate treatment to them so as to make a positive difference in their lives.

Background: The increasing use of tobacco among youths warrants the need for dental health professionals to effectively provide tobacco cessation counselling (TCC) in the office and community settings. However, there have been concerns among the dental professionals regarding TCC in dental settings., Aims and Objectives: To assess the attitude of dental professionals including the dentist and dental hygienist towards the TCC and identify the possible barriers towards the implementation of these practices in the rural and urban areas of Modinagar district., Materials and Methods: The present questionnaire based survey was carried among the qualified dentist and dental hygienist from the urban and rural areas of the Modinagar district to attitudes in tobacco cessation, practices in tobacco cessation interventions and related barriers towards implementation. The survey data were analyzed using the SPSS 16 version software package. The descriptive statistics (frequency) was generated for the each question to assess their attitude and practice., Results: The response rate of the questionnaire among the dentist and dental hygienist was 100%. The attitude of the majority of dentist towards the tobacco cessation counselling was positive as compared to the dental hygienist. 69.2% of the dentist were of the view that the dental health professionals should provide TCC as compared to 54.2% among the hygienist. Regarding the practice, only 12.5% and 5.8% of the dentist and dental hygienist had ever used the nicotine replacement therapy in their dental practice. The lack of the knowledge and information regarding TCC was the only perceived barrier among the dentists (51.7%) and dental hygienist (68.3%)., Conclusion: Dental professionals must expand their horizon and armamentarium to include TCC strategies inclusive of their regular preventive and therapeutic treatment modalities. Also, the dental institutions should include TCC into the curriculum, but it should not be just theoretical knowledge rather it must have a practical component.

Provision of health care facilities and the extent of their utilization is one of the indices of human development. The services for the masses need to be designed with the basic objective of alleviating and preventing the vast amounts of diseases of the mass. This could be achieved by mobile dental units (MDUs). The present systemic review access the efficacy of MDUs for community settings. A review of literature was performed both electronically and manually using MeSH Terms- Mobile Dental Units/clinics. Eight articles, which fulfilled inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected for the review. MDUs help in overcoming the accessibility, affordability and sustainability barrier. They are able to reach more people than fixed-site clinics. Even in Government sector, mobile dental vans can help reach the underserved at an affordable cost.The present systematic review revealed that MDUs prove to be an effective adjunct to the oral health service providers like dental colleges and private practitioners.

Though acute exposure to hypobaric hypoxia is reported to impair cognitive performance, the effects of prolonged exposure on different cognitive domains have been less studied. The present study aimed at investigating the time dependent changes in cognitive performance on prolonged stay at high altitude and its correlation with electroencephalogram (EEG) and plasma homocysteine. The study was conducted on 761 male volunteers of 25-35 years age who had never been to high altitude and baseline data pertaining to domain specific cognitive performance, EEG and homocysteine was acquired at altitude ≤240 m mean sea level (MSL). The volunteers were inducted to an altitude of 4200-4600 m MSL and longitudinal follow-ups were conducted at durations of 03, 12 and 18 months. Neuropsychological assessment was performed for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), attention, information processing rate, visuo-spatial cognition and executive functioning. Total homocysteine (tHcy), vitamin B12 and folic acid were estimated. Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) showed temporal increase in the percentage prevalence of MCI from 8.17% on 03 months of stay at high altitude to 18.54% on 18 months of stay. Impairment in visuo-spatial executive, attention, delayed recall and procedural memory related cognitive domains were detected following prolonged stay in high altitude. Increase in alpha wave amplitude in the T3, T4 and C3 regions was observed during the follow-ups which was inversely correlated (r = -0.68) to MMSE scores. The tHcy increased proportionately with duration of stay at high altitude and was correlated with MCI. No change in vitamin B12 and folic acid was observed. Our findings suggest that cognitive impairment is progressively associated with duration of stay at high altitude and is correlated with elevated tHcy in the plasma. Moreover, progressive MCI at high altitude occurs despite acclimatization and is independent of vitamin B12 and folic acid.

Burden of Influenza is significantly higher in developing countries as compared to developed countries, but the data on the disease burden is less well defined in most of the developing countries including India, and consequently, constraints evolving strategies for prioritization of measures to prevent and control it. The swine flu or A(H1N1) pandemic is on the wane but the virus continues to circulate causing sporadic outbreaks even in 2013. The A(H1N1)pdm09 has replaced the previous circulating seasonal A (H1N1) virus and acquired the status of a seasonal virus. Limited influenza activity is usually seen throughout the year in India with a clear peaking during the rainy season. The rainy season in the country lasts from June to August in all the regions except Tamil Nadu where it occurs from October to December. IAP recommends the ideal time for offering influenza vaccines is just before the onset of rainy season. The efficacy/effectiveness data of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccines are also presented in different age groups and different categories of individuals. The IAP maintains its earlier recommendations of using the current trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine in all children with risk factors but not as a universal measure. IAP has now prioritized different target groups for influenza vaccination based on contribution of the group to the overall influenza burden, disease severity, and vaccine effectiveness in different age groups and categories. The current trivalent inactivated influenza vaccines incorporate the 2009 pandemic strain also, hence avert the need of a separate A (H1N1) vaccine. IAP stresses the need of more refined surveillance; large scale studies on effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccines in Indian children, and more effective, properly matched, higher-valent influenza vaccines.

Background & Objective: Recurrent annual outbreaks of acute encephalopathy illness affecting young children have been reported for several years in many districts of western Uttar Pradesh (UP). Our earlier investigations over three consecutive years (2002-2005) proved that these outbreaks were due to a fatal multi-system disease (hepatomyoencephalopathy syndrome) probably caused by some phytotoxin and not due to viral encephalitis as believed so far. We conducted a case-control study to investigate the risk, if any, from various environmental factors and also to identify the putative toxic plant responsible for development of this syndrome., Methods: Eighteen cases with acute hepatomyoencephalopathy syndrome admitted in 2005 in a secondary care paediatric hospital of Bijnor district of western UP were included in the study. Three age-matched controls were selected for each case. A semi-structured questionnaire was developed and applied to all 18 cases and 54 controls. All interviews were conducted within one week of discharge or death of each case. Quantitative data were analyzed using the relevant established statistical tests., Results: Parents of 8 (44.4%) cases gave a definite history of their children eating beans of Cassia occidentalis weed before falling ill, compared with 3 (5.6% controls), the odds ratio being 12.9 (95% CI 2.6-88.8, P<0.001). History of pica was the other associated factor with the disease, odds ratio 5.20 (95% CI 1.4-19.5, P<0.01). No other factor was found significantly associated with the disease., Interpretation & Conclusion: Consumption of C. occidentalis beans probably caused these outbreaks, described earlier as hepatomyoencephalopathy syndrome. Public education has the potential to prevent future outbreaks.

Background & Objective: Outbreaks of an acute encephalopathy syndrome affecting children, with high case-fatality, have been reported in western Uttar Pradesh, India for the last many years. We investigated these cases in Bijnor district and present our findings., Methods: Fifty five children aged 2-10 yr hospitalized from 2003 to 2005 in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, with features of acute encephalopathy were selected by defined clinical criteria. Various laboratory investigations were performed., Results: The disease had peak incidence in early winter months. Previously healthy, 2-4 yr old rural children (mean age-3.78 yr) of very low socio-economic background were most vulnerable. Almost all had vomiting preceding unconsciousness and a majority had mild fever and abnormal behaviour/agitation. Abnormal posture of trunk and limbs were distinctive features. Fluctuation of blood pressure was seen in three-quarter cases. Serum aminotransferases, creatine phosphokinase and lactic dehydrogenase levels were found markedly raised virtually in all cases in whom the tests were performed. Serum glucose was found low (<50 mg/dl) in 47.3 per cent cases at presentation. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was under normal or low pressure and without pleocytosis in all cases. No microorganism could be isolated from serum, CSF, urine and visceral specimens. Neuroimaging performed in two cases was also normal. Liver biopsy performed in 21 cases showed acute hepatotoxic injury in all with marked hydropic change and perivenular necrosis. Tibial muscle biopsy done in 8 cases showed focal necrosis while brain biopsy taken in 2 cases had mild spongiosis with focal gliosis. Forty two children succumbed to their illness (case fatality 76.4%), most within 72 h of presentation. Survivors did not show any neurological deficit., Interpretation & Conclusion: Our findings showed that the outbreaks were due to a multi-system disease with toxic injury to liver, muscles and brain (hepato-myo-encephalopathy) and not due to viral encephalitis as believed so far. The cause remains unknown but several features suggest the possibility of phytotoxin-induced pathology.

One hundred and twenty children with persistent convulsions (lasting > or = 10 min) were treated with per rectal diazepam (dosage: 0.2 to 0.7 mg/kg/dose). Another group of 100 age matched children with convulsions, along with those who did not respond to rectal therapy were given intravenous diazepam in a dosage of 0.2 to 0.3 mg/kg/dose. Rectal treatment was effective in 80.83% cases while intravenous diazepam was effective in 90% cases which is statistically just significant (p < 0.05). No significant difference was observed in the efficacy of two routes of administration in controlling convulsions of different clinical types and various etiological groups (p < 0.05), except for primary generalized type where intravenous route was more effective than the rectal one (p < 0.05). No significant side-effect was observed with rectal therapy. Among the 23 (19.17%) children in whom rectal therapy failed, 12 (10%) responded to intravenous diazepam while the remaining 11 (9.17%) cases were resistant to both routes of administration.